Prey
by KingxLeon21
Summary: The thrill of the hunt is something that she never thought she'd care for. Now that she has gotten a taste of it can she keep it in check or will it consume her. All of the characters in this story are owned by Dan Schneider
1. Prologue: Out of the Frying Pan

What goes on, fanfictioneers and fanfictionistas? It's KL21 here with somethin' for you guys to sink your teeth into… not really expecting a ton of hits for this one so I won't be long. But this is a bit different from the other things I've posted. You'll see what I mean when you read it… so I give you; chapter 1 of my newest story: 'Prey'

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><p>Prologue: A New Beginning<p>

She had been walking for fifteen minutes to get to the market. She looked up at the sky and emitted a small growl. Her sister noticed the noise and chided her. "Samantha, relax. There's plenty of time. And even if we're a little late, I'm sure mother won't mind."

"I know that Melanie, but I don't even want to be here in the first place." Melanie just chuckles and shakes her head. "Why do we have to live so far away from the place?"

"Well, as I recall, mother says…" her speech is cut off by the sounds of screaming coming from the market.

Sam stretched her neck in a vain attempt to see what the noise was. As they neared the market they heard cries of "The guard! Somebody get the guard!" Sam scoffed at the notion that getting the guard would change anything.

This district was notorious for the most corrupt and lazy peace keepers. It was more likely that the guard had been paid off to be elsewhere. This was often the case, as she had seen personally. A guard would be brought to a scene and then blatantly ignore the illegal activity. She'd even seen the guards harassing and even assaulting street vendors and shop owners. She'd seen public trials influenced more by gold than by the law. The whole system was corrupt as far as she was concerned, and that made it completely useless.

Grabbing the hilt of her dagger she advanced towards the scene. Stopping only when she witnessed the appalling sight of a guard… an actual guard, hired and paid by the government… harassing a kid who couldn't have been older than eight. Her blood boiled and as she tossed her hair over her shoulder. The guards weren't going to turn on one of their own. Not when it was just a kid. She had to do something.

As she moved towards she felt a hand on her arm. "Samantha, what are you doing! That will be a losing battle!"

"I don't care Mel, someone has to do something!"

"Why not let that mysterious hooded buy in the wanted posters do something!"

"Because, Mel, he's a myth! He doesn't exist! No one can live for that long to get that high of a bounty placed on their head! He's too good to be true! We are the people of this district and we shouldn't have to rely on some stranger to fight our battles! Someone has to go help that kid or it'll be too late!"

"But, why you, Samantha! I couldn't take it if something happened to you! You're all mother and I have left!"

Sam seemed to soften up at this. Melanie allowed herself to hope. Once Sam turned around and saw the look in her sister's eyes she realized that her hope was futile.

Melanie watched as Sam undid the holster for her dagger. She then tied it around Melanie's waist. Melanie let the scene play out as she watched in confusion. "Samantha what are yo-"

"Father taught us how to use a dagger. I want you to turn around and go home. Use the dagger to fight off any bandits that may try to rob you." Melanie listened with tears in her eyes as she shook her head refusing to let her sister go. Her protest was cut short, "Melanie, you have to. Listen to me… please… go home and tell mother that I'll return." Sam started to bound off but then turned around and looked at her sister, "I promise. I love you." And with that Melanie felt obligated to oblige her sister in what could very well have been her final wish.

She nodded, a tear or two flowing from her eyes, "I love you too." And with those words she left.

Sam turned around to see how she could approach her situation. She had to get a weapon. There was no time. She ran towards the scene at full speed and tackled the man who was attacking the boy.

The boy looked around in shock until he heard his mysterious rescuer shout, "HURRY UP AND GET OUTTA HERE!" the boy quickly, and happily followed her instruction.

Sam, meanwhile, was happy to see that it wasn't a guard but instead just a local thug. She easily wrestled the man and stunned him enough to steal his dagger and make her escape. She ran and she ran. Cutting into an alley she was unpleasantly surprised when she bumped into the chain mail of one of the local guards.

"Well well well, what do we have here?"

There was just one… certainly she could take one guard.

"It seems we have a stray dog." came the voice of another guard from her left.

This was not as certain but she counted her chances as still favorable.

"And she seems to have her fangs bared." A third guard chortled.

She definitely has to run now. Three was too many. She turned to make her escape but was met with the sight of a slightly bigger guard with a spear.

"Oh she's quite the looker, we have a special place for whores like you."

In a new found fit of anger and desperation she bowled over the guard with the spear and plunged the dagger into the guard's throat. She had no time to contemplate her actions as she now had to run. "Stop right there!" she heard behind her as she made her way down the alley. As she burst out onto the main street she veered to her right and continued running at full speed, fighting every instinct that she had to run towards home. She knew she couldn't head back… not now. She ran into a few people who started to shout curses at her until they were pushed aside by the pursuing guards. She could hear the jingle of the chain mail as she began to tire. She had to turn and fight.

One thing she knew about the guards was that they didn't run with their swords out. Knowing this, she stopped and threw her body backwards towards her purser throwing him off balance. She grabbed him by an arm and took his own dagger and pressed it against the man's throat. When the guards stopped short of her she felt that she had won. Maybe she'd make it out of this alive, after all.

Her happiness was short lived, as she saw a third guard join the two that were standing in front of her. They drew their swords and slowly advanced.

"Stay back or I'll spill his blood."

To her dismay and disbelief, the guards just laughed at her threat. Even more surprising was that it was the guard she held hostage who spoke through strangled laughter, "You think that'll stop them… that it will stop any of us? All of us… any of us could be just as easily replaced." After hearing this, she heard one of the guards sheath his sword and pull out a rifle.

This was it. She was going to break her promise to her sister and mother. She was going to die here… today… on the streets… like a dog… she wouldn't get a proper burial. She'd likely just be dragged out to the sea and dumped into the ocean. And for what? What had it all been for? For some kid she didn't know, and had never seen before? No. It was bigger than that. She didn't do it just for the kid. She was taking a stand when no one else would. She was standing for the oppressed people of the district. Sure she would be nameless, but maybe her sacrifice would inspire someone to do something.

"Any last words, whore?"

She couldn't find it in her to retort. She shut her eyes tight, and said to herself, "Sorry mother, sorry Melanie."

She felt the tense up right before she heard the crack of a gunshot. All was silent. She didn't feel anything. She didn't know anyone who had ever been shot, and she certainly hasn't ever been shot, herself. She'd always supposed that it would hurt, maybe she was wrong. She cracked her eyes open to see exactly what was going on.

Her eyes widened as she watched the rifleman fall to his knees.

She heard the frightened man she held hostage, "What sorcery is this? What have you done, witch?"

Before she could respond, she the whizzing of the arrows as the fell upon the two remaining guards. She heard the soft padded thuds that the arrows made as they connected with the guards. She watched as the silently fell to the ground motionless… lifeless.

Fear swelled up inside of her. Then she looked to the ground and saw a shadow, like that of an eagle. However, as she looked up she saw, instead of a majestic bird of prey, a man. He landed on the ground next to them and she took in what she could. He had white pants, a white tunic, and a white hood. She also noticed his cape. He was definitely one of those who were well off. What caught her eye, however, was the fact that in the sunlight he seemed to be shining.

Just as she was about to ask who the man was she heard the fearful stammering of the guard that she had hostage. "Its… its… its him… The… the Demon of Venecia… Il… Il Assassino!" The man, his fear of the dagger to his throat replaced with the fear of the man in front of him, wrenched himself free of the girls grip. "Get away from me! Please! Leave me alone!"

The man's frightened babbling finally registered. This was the hooded man in the wanted posters. This was the man of whom every guard in Italy was afraid. The man who apparently had no name. This was 'The Demon of Venecia' that their father used to tell them stories about. This was the "Il Assassino" that the bards would sing about. He was real… and he saved her.

She looked up at him as he advanced on her. As he got closer she could out some of the features of his face. Most noticeable was the fact that he didn't seem to have any facial hair. He looked to be about her age maybe even a year or two older. She noticed that he had a strong jaw. She watched as he clinched it over and over again. He seemed to be appraising her… studying her… evaluating her.

He extended his hand. "Join me."

His voice had a, certain, calmness to his voice that seemed to contradict everything that she had been told that he'd been through. Losing his family, the killing, all of the killing liberating city after city. And yet, he spoke as if he was perfectly fine… as if everything he did had a reason and a purpose… as if he had the full belief that everything he'd done had been for the greater good. He spoke as if he believed in his purpose and he was asking her to join him. This had to mean that he believed in her. Very few had thought her more than a common street urchin, or a penniless whore. But this man who had never met her, believed in her without hesitation.

So, she followed him without hesitation.

They heard the sound of more guards approaching. She looked up at him not knowing what to do.

"We have to run."

And run they did. They turned a corner and Sam heard the man yell, "There's a hay stack up ahead… jump into it and stay very still. I'll return for you."

"Wait! What's your name!"

"You didn't hear?" he asked, cockily, "I'm Il Assassino, The Demon of Venecia."

"That's what they call you… But… what is your name?" he watched as he turned to look at the street. He could see the guards in the distance. He moved to push her into the hay stack. She held onto his arm, "My name is Samantha."

"Federico." And with that he pushed her into the hay stack and continued running.

As she laid in the hay cart, fighting against every instinct she had that told her to get up and see what was going on, she couldn't stop the pounding in her chest. Earlier, the pounding had been fear. Not knowing if she was going to see her family again; not knowing if anything she'd done would end up well for anyone; Not knowing whether she'd live or die. Now the pounding in her heart was from something else.

Not fear, not anxiety, it was something entirely different.

It was excitement. Excitement for a new path, a new life, a new beginning.

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><p>Okey doke… not much to say here so let me know what you think.<p>

Even if you don't decide to review, thank you for taking your time to read my story…

Remember to be on the lookout for a cadre of other awesome stories by these fine individuals.

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From the lightest of fluff to the heaviest of angst  
>We write it all<p>

Until next time,  
>Deuces<br>KL21


	2. Into The Fire

Ok guys, for starters; what's up fanfictioneers and fanfictionistas, KL21 is here with another story for your viewing pleasure.

the long awaited second chapter of Prey now you should be warned though... I decided to take it in a different direction but you guys are pretty smart so you'll figure that part out fairly quickly.

There's not really much I can say without giving away plot lines and such so I will forgo that and just give you guys:

Prey Chapter Two: Into The Fire.

Please read Enjoy and Review. Thank You.

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><p>Into The Fire<p>

A woman sat at the window alternating between glances at her phone and glances through the window out into the setting sun. For most, it would be just another pretty sight to see. But to her it only meant one thing.

Time was running out.

"I can't believe we have to do this." Another woman said as she sat down at a computer.

A male ran frantically from room to room, collecting papers and running them through the shredder. "Mrs. Benson I told you; we have no choice in the matter, anymore! They're coming. They're coming for us!" He screamed over his shoulder

Mrs. Benson continued to delete files from the computer, "I know, but are you sure there's no other way? They aren't prepared for this."

"Well, whose fault do you suppose that is!" The woman said, clutching her phone as she ran from window to window checking for anything she could see in the approaching darkness.

"Well you'll excuse me _Pam_, if I didn't want this life for my Freddiebear."

"What! You think I _wanted_ this life for Sam! You think I wanted to put her in a position of constantly having to look over her shoulders, to be forced with the possibility of actually having to kill another human being!"

"Of course not but-"

"I _never_ wanted this for my daughters. I was lucky enough to get one of them out of harm's way. I never wanted this for Sam."

The male returned to the front room carrying a duffel bag. "Ladies, I appreciate the nature of conversation… I really do; but we've got a much bigger issue in front of us."

Mrs. Benson turned and glared at Spencer for a moment, then offered a sigh of resignation, "Spencer's right. We have to focus on getting out of here." She selected all of the files and hit the delete key.

Pam walked over to the window and looked out once again. "Uh-oh. We have to get a move on… Now!" She took this moment to type out a message.

"What! What's going on!" Spencer ran to the window to take a look. The sight that greeted him was a black van that had parked in front of the apartment building. "Oh no. We've got to go now!"

Pam pocketed her phone and she and Mrs. Benson picked up their duffel bags. Mrs. Benson did a quick scan to make sure nothing vital was left behind. Pam rushed to the door and turned the knob.

Suddenly a blast threw her back into the apartment. Mrs. Benson turned her head and could only move out of the way. Pam's body hit the island with a sickening crack. Pam's body lay still as Mrs. Benson went over to check her.

Spencer looked on at the scene that played out in front of him before turning his head to the door. He saw two men in black suits step into the apartment. One was tall with a muscular build. The other was shorter and a bit more wiry. Both had crew cuts. Spencer swallowed the lump in his throat. "What are you doing here? How did you find us?"

"Did you really think you could hide from us forever Mr. Shay?" The taller man asked in a deep resonating voice. Spencer couldn't tell whether it was the man's voice causing his heart to jump or his own fear, "Did you think that we wouldn't come looking for you once you showed up on the grid again?"

"On the Grid?"

The shorter man handed the taller one a pad. The taller man surveyed the pad for a moment and continued speaking, "On January sixteenth of this year you set up a feed to speak to one, Colonel Steven Shay. We monitor all feeds coming in and going out of any military or government agency or organization."

A phone rang and the shorter man reached into his jacket. Spencer watched the shorter man put the phone up to his ear and walk out of earshot.

Mrs. Benson, still stooped next to Pam's lifeless body, decided to voice her question, "So, you've made such a Grand entrance. What happens now?"

The man gathered a devilish grin, "What happens now, Miranda, is that you'll give me that hard drive you've got. There's a lot of information on it that we've deemed… troublesome."

"Ha! I'll never give you that hard drive."

"Oh, I'd never expect you to do that. I'd never ask you to do something to betray your comrades. I'd never ask you to give me anything." The evil grin remained on the man's face, "but, believe me when I say this. I will get that hard drive."

The shorter man returned to the room and nodded, pocketing the phone.

Spencer spoke up, "What happens if we give you the hard drive?"

"Easy, Mr. Shay. You give us the drive, we get out of your hair."

Spencer releases a humorless laugh, "You know? I was in law school. You know why I went to law school? Because I could always spot a liar. Always."

"You wound me with your words Mr. Shay. Certainly there's a way we can all leave this room alive."

"No there isn't." was the only reply.

"No," The two men pulled guns from their jackets and screwed the silencers onto the barrels, "There isn't."

The shorter man fired off two shots. Both of them hitting Miranda in the chest. She fell over and hit the ground. The taller man fired off one shot hitting Spencer in the chest. Spencer fell backwards, clutching his chest. The taller man walked over and stood over Spencer as he struggled to take in breath.

"You know why you'll never win, Mr. Shay? It's not because you're a lesser organization. It's not because you're fighting against more than a simple organization. It's because your work requires you to rely on others. You see? What I'm doing now, it's a one man job. My partner is only here for efficiency. I don't need to use him as a crutch." The man squatted over Spencer's body, looking him in the eye, "That's all relying on others is. A weakness."

Spencer laughed as he coughed up some blood, "You can kill me. You could kill me a thousand times over. But you'll never be fulfilled." He coughed once again, "The truth is… you died a long time ago."

The man stood up and walked and stood next to his partner, "Well… you're right about one thing."

The man leveled his gun and fired one final shot. The bullet hit Spencer in the center of his chest, Spencer's head fell back and his lifeless eyes stared up at the ceiling.

"All right, let's find that hard drive and get out of here."

The shorter man nodded and began to search the apartment.

~X~

"You know… its sorta weird." Carly said as she sipped her smoothie, "don't ya think?"

"What do you mean?" Freddie asked as he sat down at the table.

"Well, I mean that Sam's mom actually dropped her off."

"Well… she has been trying, lately." Sam said as Freddie shrugged his agreement, "It's a small improvement but its somethin' to look forward to."

Freddie nodded as he drank some of his smoothie, "Wait a second, when did your mom get her license back?"

"Baby steps, Benson." Sam said as she eyed Freddie's smoothie, "The Journey of one thousand miles, right?"

Freddie yanked his smoothie just out of Sam's grasp as he answered, "I would think the first step would be obeying simple traffic laws."

"Obeying laws is a big step for Pucketts." Sam said, still eyeing Freddie's smoothie. "I think that making an effort is a good place to start."

Freddie yanked his smoothie away once more as Sam reached for it, "HA! The only thing Puckett has ever made an effort to do was to steal and eat."

"Hey! That's not fair we also make an effort to accomplish both stealing and eating at the same time." Sam took her phone out of her pocket and dropped it on the floor. "Oops."

"Sam, you're gonna break it again." Carly said as Sam leaned sideways to the floor to retrieve her phone.

Sam popped up and held up her phone, "Not this time, I've got a new Beaver Box phone case for my Pear phone."

Freddie looked over at the case, "Can I see it? When did you get it?"

"About a month ago." Sam's eyes drifted over to Freddie's smoothie again. "Hey Freddie, could you lift your right foot up for a second?"

Freddie was skeptical but did as Sam asked. Sam slid her foot into the space where Freddie's once was.

"Would you mind telling me why you had me lift my foot?"

"Hm? Oh yeah, I just had to stretch my legs."

Freddie rolled his eyes and began to lower his foot. As soon as Freddie's foot touched Sam's, she lifted her foot, causing Freddie's leg to fly up and slam against the underside of the table. The sharp pain caused him to drop Sam's phone on the table. As he released his smoothie to reach down and grab his knee, Sam snatched up his smoothie and proceeded to taste the fruits of her victory.

As Carly was about to scold her friends for making, yet another, scene; she looked out of the window and noticed that the Sun had gone down.

"Hey guys, we should probably get going, its dark out and there's no telling what all of our guardians are doing in a contained area." Carly said as she was checking her phone for any notices of distress from her brother

"Yeah," Sam said, placing Freddie's now empty smoothie cup on the table and picking up her phone and placing it back in her pocket. "Knowing my mom, she either knocked out Spencer, or is cussing out Freddie's mom… probably both."

"It's weird though." Freddie said pulling out his wallet to pay for his smoothie. "My mom usually calls me when it starts getting dark." Freddie checked his phone, "I haven't gotten a single thing."

Carly frowned, "She didn't send anything? No call? No voicemail? Not even a text?"

"Not a thing. I'm starting to get worried?"

"Just chillax dude. Maybe she's finally lettin' you off the leash a little bit." Sam said as she felt a vibration in her pocket.

Freddie shrugged and went to the counter to pay for their smoothies. Meanwhile, Sam pulled out the phone and checked the message and frowned at the screen.

"What? Sam?" Carly said as she reached over to shake her friend's shoulder, "Sam, what's the matter?"

She just handed the phone to Carly so she could look at it. Carly's face scrunched up in confusion. "We need to hurry and get back home. Something's wrong."

Sam nodded, as Freddie returned to see the looks on his friends' faces. "What's goin' on?"

Sam just threw him her phone as she grabbed her jacket and exited the smoothie shop. Carly followed behind her. Freddie looked at the screen and saw that the message was sent about fifteen minutes ago. He read the message.

_Go sumplace safe.  
>Dont come back here.<br>Always know that I  
>luv u princess.<em>

It was from Sam's mom.

A foreboding feeling came over him as he rushed out to catch up with his friends.

~X~

Outside of the Bushwell apartment building, The two agents sat outside in their van.

"What in the Hell are we still doing here?" Asked the shorter agent in an even voice. He was starting to get frustrated. They completed their jobs. They should have left immediately.

"We're waiting to do a little extra cleanup." The other agent answered.

"But, that wasn't in our mission directive." The shorter agent put his fingers to his temples, "We were told to extract the hard drive and eliminate those who had it."

"My goodness, Anderson, do you always have to be so 'by the book'?" The taller agent asked.

"What's wrong with the book, Mickelson? I like the book. The book keeps us from flying off the handle," Anderson cut his eyes at Mickelson, "and making silly speeches."

Mickelson smirked, "I rather liked my speech and it's not like it took-"

"Shhh" Anderson cut off his partner's explanation, "Did you hear that?"

Mickelson listened for a moment and shook his head, "You're crazy, I didn't here anyth-"

"Shhhhh." Mickelson frowned for a moment before hearing a faint screech. Anderson turned his head to his window. "There it is again."

"What the hell?" Mickelson was about to put his head out of his window to survey the area before he felt Anderson yank him back inside. "Damn, Anderson. What is your problem?"

Anderson could only point to the hood as an owl landed on the hood of the car. Mickelson's throat seemed to have dried up as soon as the owl landed. He swallowed before trying to speak, "Anderson? Is that what I think it is?"

Anderson just sat in his seat, eyes fixated on the bird.

The owl turned its head around and screeched once again. Anderson finally found his voice, "Mickelson we have to go, now!"

As Mickelson started the van he saw three figures running in their direction. Two females, one blonde and one brunette, and a male with brown hair. It was them. Mickelson reached in his jacket and pulled out his pistol. Anderson looked at the three figures, and over at Mickelson. "Mickelson, what the fuck are you doing!"

"This is the best chance we have, Anderson."

"Really! And when we're dead, then what! Would this chance be worth it then!" Anderson leveled a hard glare at Mickelson. Mickelson responded with a low growl, "Besides, there's also the cleaner that we planted in the apartment building."

Mickelson scowled and pocketed his gun. He threw the car in reverse and hit the gas. The owl flew away once the car started moving. Following a poorly executed three point turn, the Van sped off just as Carly Sam and Freddie approached.

"Who was that?" Freddie asked out of breath.

"I don't know," answered Carly as she observed the windows on the eighth floor.

"Something's not right," Sam remarked as she stepped up next to Carly.

"Yeah, I mean, shouldn't there be lights on?" Freddie said

"Yeah, plus, I've tried calling Spencer, and both of your moms." Carly said while dialing her brother's phone once again.

Freddie looked up at the eighth floor. "Well it seems to be quiet enough maybe they all just went home." Freddie stated, hoping against all hope that Sam's mother was just playing some kind of prank.

Just as Freddie finished his sentence, fire erupted out of the Bushwell. A blast shattered the glass in the windows. Carly's eyes widened in horror as she dropped her phone to the pavement. Sam placed a hand on Carly's shoulder, eyes never leaving the horrifying scene that they'd just witnessed. Freddie was the first to act as he began to run towards the building.

Seeing Freddie run towards the building seemed to have jumpstarted Carly's brain, "Sam he can't go in there. You've got to stop him." Sam just nodded and ran to catch Freddie. Carly picked up her phone and dialed 911.

"Freddie! Freddie, you can't go in there!" Sam shouted as she caught up with him and latched onto his arm.

"Sam! Let me go! That's my mother in there! I can't just sit by while she… she could be…" Freddie's mind was swimming, trying to find some sort of logical way that his mother could be ok, while he used all of his physical strength trying to pry his arm away from Sam.

"I know Freddie but if you go in there…" Sam's voice caught as the thought of the consequences of Freddie's actions. "You could die, Freddie!"

"SO, THE FUCK, WHAT IF I DIE!" Freddie's voice was becoming erratic as he continued struggling to get out of Sam's grasp, "If she's gone… If she's..!" Freddie's strength began to leave him as he continued to struggle, vainly, to escape Sam's grasp.

Sam's tears began to fall as well, as she and Freddie sank to the asphalt. She wrapped Freddie in a hug as he began to sob into her shoulder, "The police are on their way. They'll sort this all out and we'll find out that everything is ok." Sam said into his ear, "You'll see… everything will be fine." As her voice waivered at the end of her sentence she knew that she trying to convince herself, more than Freddie.

Carly approached the two and stooped down and hugged both of her friends. "The police are on their way." Carly released a sob as she looked up at her burning building.

Carly leaned her head on Sam's back as the three of them cried while waiting for the police and fire department.

A man stood atop the roof of the building across from the apartment. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

After two rings a voice with a heavy southern accent answered, "What is your progress?"

After a long pause and a sigh, the man answered, "We've lost another cell."

"Son of a bitch!"

"However, the candidates that were recommended for recruits are safe."

"Well at least that's something that can be salvaged." After a brief pause, the man on the phone spoke again, "What is their mental state?"

"They've just lost their closest family members. How the hell do you think they're doing?"

"You just ensure that they reach the facility safely."

After a long pause the man responded, "Understood."

He turned his back from the disastrous scene as an owl landed on his shoulder. He exited the scene without looking back. He had a lot to do if everything was going to go smoothly.

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><p>Well, there you have it.<p>

I guess now is a good time to tell you what I'm doing. So I had this idea one day while playing a video game 'Hmmm, I wonder if I could pull off a seddie story and place it in a completely different time period." that turned into the first chapter of this story. Then I had the thought 'I wish I could somehow modernize this story.' Then I saw Safe House. Then, after seeing that movie it was all the push I needed go ahead and approve the idea (in my mind). one thing led to another and I got this idea on a lunch break.

The other story hasn't been abandoned, it will just be used as a feed in this story. Eventually I will make it its own story and when that is up I'll let you know where you can find that.

So I guess that all I can ask of you is to trust me and stick with it. I haven't let you down before (hopefully) and I don't intend on letting you down again.

If you have any questions (which you probably will) PM me, review me, tweet at me KingxLeon21, ask me kingxleon21 . tumblr . com I'm seriously all over the place.

Remember to read these other guys too. They're leagues better than I am.

**Read**

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****Well that'll do it for this go 'round. Thank you for reading. Please tell me what you thought.

Until next time,  
>Deuces<br>KL21


	3. Waiting in the Wings

Well it certainly has been awhile. So I won't be long…

Here is the next chapter of Prey. Sadly it will move a bit slower than I would like but that is on purpose as it fits the tone of the chapter. Also I'm in the last stage of the foundation mode of this story. There is one or two more chapters until I can get to what I want to get to. So bear with me, those few who are still reading this story

Without further ado I present to you Chapter three of Prey: Waiting in the Wings

Please Read, Enjoy, and Review… thank you.

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><p>Waiting in the Wings<p>

Freddie stood in front of a tombstone, staring at it with emotionless eyes. He felt drained. He was crying when the police arrived on the scene. He could barely form complete sentences when the cops questioned him about what happened. He didn't really know what happened, in the first place. Everything happened so fast. One minute he was enjoying his carefree life at the Groovy Smoothie. The next, he was rushing home, hoping that nothing terrible was happening. The next thing he knew…

He still can't finish it. Whenever he was questioned about it; that was always where he stopped. Even now, staring at the grave marker… his mother's grave marker, he didn't want to say or even think about the incident. Saying it wouldn't make it any less real. If anything, it would only serve to cement the hard truth that was now his life. He was alone now. The rest of his family hated him, his dad disappeared, and now… his mother…

He shuts his eyes tight, wincing at the pain of his new reality. He, then, looks up to the sky. It seems to be mocking him. With its blue skies, and fluffy clouds… He finds it somewhat odd that he wishes that it was just a little bit darker; if only to pay tribute to his mother. At the same time, he envied the clouds, wishing that he could be away from everything. Wishing that he could just drift aimlessly. Wishing that he could…

His musings are interrupted by an owl landing on his mother's headstone. Freddie's tilted his head, adopting a quizzical look. "I feel like I've seen you before." He mumbled to himself. The owl Screeched and flew away. He stared off after the bird wondering where it had come from. He then heard a voice calling his name.

"Freddie? Freddie!" Freddie turned to see Carly and Sam walking towards him. "Freddie, we're about to go the will reading."

"Will? What will?"

"Well, the lawyer called and said that they had left video wills." Carly responded with a somber voice.

"I'm sure my mom would've mentioned it before." Freddie looked over Carly's shoulder to see Sam staring off into the distance, "How's Sam holdin' up?"

"Well she hasn't tried to run off or anything so that's a plus, I guess." She shifted her stance to her right leg. "But she still hasn't said much. She's finally eating again though."

Freddie looked over to her again, "That's good. I'm glad she seems to be progressing a little bit."

Carly looked down to her watch, "Well, we should get going. Mind giving us a ride there?"

"Of course, no problem."

They sat in the office waiting for the lawyers to arrive. Freddie observed the room. He was seated in between His two friends. There were two gentlemen standing next to the door. They were clad entirely in black. One had long shoulder length brown hair and another had his hair in a long black braided ponytail. He silently wondered why they were there. Will readings were normally private. He also wondered who Carly and Spencer's lawyer was. Spencer normally represented himself riding his three days of law school. Both, he and Carly, knew Sam's lawyer; having dealt with him many times when retrieving Sam from jail. There was a TV set up at the front of the room and a window to the left of it.

Before he could notice anything else, a man in a dark blue blazer walked into the room. He took a seat at the desk in the corner. Shortly thereafter, their lawyers began to come into the room. One was a short portly gentleman with balding gray hair. Freddie recognized him as Sam's lawyer. Normally the man wore a scowl when he had to deal with another of Sam's legal troubles. This time, however, his expression was somber. The next man to walk in was Freddie's lawyer. He was a man with jet black hair. He was fairly tall but rather skinny. Freddie turned towards the door to look at the last person to walk in. She was wearing a black knee length skirt with a black blazer and a dark purple blouse. Freddie went ahead and assumed that the woman was Carly's lawyer.

The portly gentleman and the woman looked towards Freddie's lawyer. He nodded and stepped forward to address the room.

"Hello to everyone assembled here today. I'd like to begin by offering my condolences to those who are affected by this great tragedy." He looked at the room; at the three teens sitting in the middle of the room. "The deceased have asked us to present you with these videos upon their passing."

Carly took this opportunity to voice a concern, "Excuse me, but where is my father? Surely he's supposed to be here for the will, right?"

Carly's lawyer spoke up, "That would be correct, were this the will reading. However, the deceased have requested that the video be shown to you an only you."

The three lawyers stepped behind the desk in the room and placed their briefcases on the table. Sam's lawyer opened his and took out a tape. He walked around to the TV and placed the tape in the VHS machine. Freddie silently wondered where in the world they could find a functioning VHS player but kept it to himself. The large man with the braided ponytail turned off the light as the video began to play.

Tears formed on the corners of Sam's eyes when her mother's face showed up on the TV screen. She felt an arm around her shoulder as her mother started talking.

"Hey there squirt. If you're watching this then... Then some bad stuff went down. I want you to know that I am aware of how hard I was on you." Sam's mother paused and looked over to the left before continuing, "I never put you through anything that I didn't think you could handle. There was a reason that I sent your sister away. There was a reason that you were chosen. In time you will have to make a choice. I have raised you well enough that I know that whatever choice you make will be the right one." Sam fought off the sob that was threating to escape. "Never doubt that I love you… Samantha." At hearing her name she finally gave in to the lump that had lodged itself in her throat; releasing a loud sob. She buried her face in Freddie's shoulder and he rubbed her shoulder as a few tears fell from his eyes as well.

Freddie wiped the tears with his free hand and saw his lawyer nod to one of the men in who stood at the door. He nodded back and turned on the light. Sam's lawyer walked to the TV and removed the tape. Freddie's lawyer stepped forward, tape in hand, and inserted the VHS. Again the lights went out and Freddie tried to swallow down the lump in his throat when he saw his mother. He knew that this could well be the last time he would ever see her face.

"Freddiebear, I never wanted this for you." She released a defeated sigh and folded her hands in her lap, "I tried my best to let you be a normal boy. There was a time where I thought I succeeded. However, I knew that you were chosen. A mother always knows. Even before I got notice that you had been chosen, I knew that you were chosen. Once I found out, I began making sure that you knew how to take care of others. People who were in need, people who were hurt, people who needed looking after. I taught you to be responsible so that when the time came; if you chose this path then you'd be we'll able to succeed." Mrs. Benson sat in silence for a minute with a sad look in her eyes. Freddie removed his arm from Sam's shoulder and put his head between his lap, unable to see his mother look so sad. He felt a hand on his back as he heard her sigh once more and continue, "You know that I love you so I will leave you with this: regardless of the paths you choose, always look after the people you care about. Always watch over the people you love. The way I did you. Goodbye Fredward." She blew a kiss and waved as the video ended.

Freddie saw the lights come on, as he was still looking to the floor. He composed himself and sat up, having successfully fought back the tears that were coming. He looked over at Sam who shot him a look of concern and he simply just nodded. Sam nodded as well and leaned forward to look over to Carly. Eyes fixated on the blank TV screen. They all knew what was next and none of them wanted to go through with it. However, they all knew what had to be done.

Carly's lawyer stepped to the player and inserted the tape. As the video began to play, the lights went out once again.

The three could no longer hold their tears as they saw Spencer's face appear.

"If you're watching this video then hopefully you just disobeyed me and went into the box under my bed." There was a quick pause and then Spencer released a long sigh. "But I know you're a good kid. So... I'm probably dead. You've always been an extraordinary kid. I watched you set out to do many different things. And everything you wanted to do you did. Even when you had to do things that you didn't think you'd have to do you did those things. I suppose that's why you were chosen." Spencer gathered a faraway look in his eyes, "I remember how hard dad fought against it. How he said that there was already one and that there couldn't be another. But you were special. He knew it. I knew it. And they knew it." He seemed to focus back on the camara, "Look, they'll tell you that you don't have a choice. But you do. I want you... All of you to make the choice based on what you feel is right. Don't do it out of obligation. Don't do it out of vengeance. Do it because it's what you feel is right." Carly stood from her seat and began to walk toward the TV. Reaching for it, seeming to want to touch her brother's face one last time even if it was just touching the television screen. "Sam, you've been a friend to my baby sister for a long time. So long that it may as well have been forever. Throughout that time you've always stood up for her. I never got the chance to tell you just how much I appreciated you and the influence that you've had on her. Freddie, you've been a constant source of support for Carly. Willing to do anything to help her accomplish her goals. That means more to her than she lets on. Carly, cherish you friends. They'll follow you. Not because you're a good leader but because they trust you. What you three have built is something that many in the world will never have. Cherish it. I guess that's all I've got for you. I love you... All of you." The screen went blank and Carly fell to her knees and wept.

Freddie and Sam immediately rose to go to their friend to offer her some sort of comfort, however insufficient that it may be. The lawyers took a step back as Freddie and Sam lifted Carly to her feet and ushered her back to her seat. They placed her in the middle seat with Sam and Freddie, now on either side of her. The man in the blue blazer took a step forward and nodded to the lawyers. The lawyers nodded in turn and exited the room. Freddie took the time to survey his face. He had jet black hair with a white streak down the left side of his hair. He had sharp blue eyes and a pointed nose. His distinguishing feature was the scar that seemed to go over his left eye. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back and he turned to address the three teens sitting in the middle of the room.

"As you have already heard." He had an exaggerated English accent. It almost threw Freddie for a loop. "You have been chosen." He looked over the three of them and continued. Freddie looked to the window and saw the owl perched on the sill. "Just what exactly you have been chosen for, you will find out after you've agreed. All I am allowed to tell you is that it will offer you your opportunity for revenge." Sam's head popped up. "And answers." At this Freddie's ears jumped.

"Speaking of answers," Sam's voice shot through the room, "How did you get these tapes? It seemed as if they knew they were going to die."

"Well, that is rather easy to answer." Sam began to become agitated at the man's flippant nature, "We encourage our members with children or people under their care to film these periodically in case of the worst case."

"Wait," Freddie responded, "So, you mean to tell me that whatever they were into carried the constant threat of death?"

"Sadly, Mr. Benson, yes. It is the nature of our cause." There was a long pause as the trio looked at each other. Then the man in the blazer continued. "You have until the end of the week to respond."

"No" the girls looked over to Freddie. "I'll respond on my own time."

"Mr. Benson, I must insist that you reconsider. Time is of the essence."

"Time huh?" Freddie stood up and walked to the center of the room to stand in front of the English man. "Well, I don't give a shit about your time. You've apparently got information about my mom's death. But you didn't have time to step in and stop this from happening. And now, I'm supposed to restructure my life just because you want me to adhere to your time table. That's not gonna fly. My mother always taught me to survey the situation. My mother always told me never to make a decision without sufficient information. So I will tell you how it's gonna go down. I'm gonna finish high school because that's what my mom would've wanted. And I'm gonna wait until you decide to tell me exactly what I'm signing up for because that's what my mother taught me. And then and only then will I make a decision..." Sam and Carly stood beside him, "Because that's what my mother taught me. Then, we'll see how important your time is to you." With that Freddie turned and headed for the door, his path blocked by the two suits who were standing at the doorway.

The Englishman stood there straight faced despite the shock he just experienced. In his fifteen years as liaison of the organization he's never had someone tell him that he would have to wait. He's seen exuberant agreement. He's seen vehement denial. But never has he seen anyone tell him that he would have to wait. The director would not be pleased. Retaining his composure he turned to Carly and Sam,

"Is your answer the same as his?"

Two out of three isn't bad, right?

"What do you think?" Was Sam's response.  
>The Englishman sighed and waved his hand to tell the men at the door to let them through. And with that, they turned and followed Freddie out of the room. The Englishman turned and looked to the window and saw the owl fly away. He silently swore under his breath. The director will certainly hear of this. And he will not be pleased at all.<p>

He took out his phone and made a call. He pressed the phone to his face and waited while it rang.

"What is your progress, Nigel." The Director's strong southern accent filled his ears as he sighed once again.

"I don't know."

"Well if they don't know if they want to do it, be more persuasive."

"No sir. You misunderstand." Nigel rubbed his temples with his free hand and began to pace the room, "It's not that they don't know. They told me that they would wait until they finished school. Also that even then, they would not answer until they knew what they were signing up for."

"I am very disappointed, Nigel." Nigel froze on the spot, eyes wide, "I do not like to be disappointed."

"I'm well aware, sir." Nigel nervously scratched the back of his neck.

After a long, agonizing silence The Director spoke again, "I suppose there is no other alternative. Give them the books and we'll have to wait for their answer."

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><p>Well there you have it. Another chapter in the books.<p>

Review if you'd like, I hope you do. In any case thank you for taking the time to read my story. I do hope that you enjoyed it and I hope that you continue to enjoy it.

Til next time,  
>Deuces<br>KL21


	4. Learning to Fall

Learning to Fall

Freddie sat in his hotel room, looking through the classified ads for an affordable place to live. His apartment at the Bushwell Plaza, was quite pricey. Besides, it held far too many memories for him to even set foot in the place, let alone live there. At the official will reading, he found out that since his mother was dead and he was eighteen, he had access to his trust fund. It was originally supposed to be his college money but the money was needed now. Hopefully he could get some scholarships.

He used some of his money to put Carly, Sam and himself in a hotel. Sam's predicament was much like his. She couldn't step foot in her old home. She has stood outside of it numerous times. But whenever she went to the door she'd always stop just short of the door knob. Carly didn't have that problem since it was her apartment that was destroyed. Even then, Freddie didn't envy her position.

Carly sat in her hotel room which was on the floor below Freddie's. While she lay on her bed, she looked over to the top drawer. In that drawer was a picture that she just couldn't bear to look at. Her grandfather went through the apartment to get any of Carly's things that could be salvaged. It turned out that her room and the old studio remained fairly intact. Her grandfather brought an old picture of Her, Spencer, and her dad. It was a screen shot from when he visited. He had asked her to go to Italy with him. They compromised; said that she'd go with him wherever he wanted to go once she graduated High School. Carly couldn't contain herself when she looked at the picture and had to excuse herself from the room. Freddie took the picture and told Carly that he would hang on to it until she decided what she wanted to do with it. When Freddie announced that he'd pay for a hotel room until they could figure out living arrangements, Carly said that he could put the picture in the top drawer.

She flipped through the channels, not really paying attention to the images that flashed across the television screen. On top of the haunting picture in her drawer she was also growing worried about Sam. She'd been gone all day. Carly has resorted to calling her once an hour with no result. Granted, that only started three hours ago, but she was still worried. She was the closest family she had left. She decided that since she wasn't having very much luck, maybe Freddie could track her down. They always did have their own thing going on, after all.

Carly picked up her phone and dialed Freddie, silently wondering where Sam could be.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Freddie." She answered, "How you holdin' up?"

"About as well as one could expect I guess," Freddie replied, "How about you?"

"Well I'm not depressed anymore, just really sad," Carly paused briefly, "Also a little worried."

"Worried about what?" Freddie asked.

"Well, I haven't been able to find Sam anywhere. I searched around a little but Seattle is a big place and I can't check it all."

"Alright, I'll try to find her. Although, I don't know how I'm going to reach her if you couldn't."

"I don't know. You always seemed to be able to find her before."

Freddie stayed silent on his end of the phone. Carly began to think he hung up before she heard him answer, "Ok."

Freddie picked up his jacket and exited the hotel, wondering where to search for Sam. His first thought led him to the fire escape but there's no way she'd be able to bear to go back there. If she did happen to go back there she would just stay lost until she returned, because there was no way that he could ever go back there. Not before he felt that he could face her again.

He decided to start at the park. He wandered around for an hour and saw the children playing on the various playground structures. The jungle gym was always his favorite. He was able to get his mom to let him go to the top by agreeing to wear various forms of padded protection and a football helmet. A bit much, yes, but from the top of that jungle gym he felt like he could see to the end of the Earth. He sat on a park bench for a moment, overwhelmed by the memories of his mother; invoked by the numerous happy children with their parents.

After his short rest, he set off to the various food establishments. Maybe she'd finally regained her appetite. However, his search continued to prove fruitless. Frustration began to set in as he found himself haplessly wandering over to Ridgeway High. He looked at his watch and saw that it was 1:37. At least the chances of him being caught out here were slim.

"Mr. Benson." Of course, the odds never really favored him. "What are you doing here?"

He turned around to address the deep voice. "Hey, Principal Franklin. I was just searching for Sam. Not having too much luck though."

"Ahh, yes. I take it the events still weigh heavy on her. On all of you." Freddie just nodded and turned his head to look off into the distance, "Don't worry yourself too much about it, Fredward. You'll find her. You always seem to."

Freddie grunted, "Yeah, thanks."

"Any time, Fredward." Principal Franklin turned to enter the school, before addressing Freddie one more time, "You really care about them. You always seem to be looking out for them. Keep that up. Always remember how important they are to you. I know it's difficult sometimes, but when it gets that way, closing your eyes and taking a deep breath can be more than helpful."

"You think so?"

"Oh, of course. It can give you a… new view on your situation." With those words, Principal Franklin disappeared into the school, leaving Freddie alone with his thoughts and the advice he'd just received. Hell, it couldn't hurt… right?

Freddie closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them there was a strange blue tint to everything. He saw one area where there was a small gold marking. Startled, he blinked his eyes and gasped for breath. Once he regained his breath there was a sharp pain behind his eye. As quickly as it had appeared, it was gone. He opened his eyes and saw that the world had regained its color. He looked back over toward the area where he saw the gold mark and approached it. It was a strand of blonde hair. It was Sam's. He just knew it. It had to be. He continued to walk, relying more on instinct than any particular logic, at this point. Principal Franklin, who had been looking through the window, simply chuckled and returned to his desk.

Freddie found himself in Sam's old neighborhood. He sent a text to Carly saying that he'd found her. He was stupefied at his lack of common sense; that he never thought to check here. At the place she used to, sort of, call home. As he approached the end of the street, he saw her standing on the curb in front of her house.  
>"I still can't go in, you know?" she stated without turning to face him. "Every day since… it happened… I've tried to go in but I always stop right here."<p>

"I know what you mean." Freddie agreed, "I've been trying to go into Bushwell for about four days now."

"I just feel like-" Sam started.

"I failed." Freddie finished.

Sam just nodded and they stood in silence for a while until Freddie decided to break the silence.

"Carly's worried about you."

Sam offered a humorless chuckle, "Some things never change."

"I'd think you'd be grateful for that."

Sam's brow creased as she turned to face Freddie for the first time, "What do you mean by that?"

Freddie's eyes stayed on Sam's house, "What I mean is, in this time where everything around us is falling apart, Carly's worrying is one of the few constants that we have left… one of the only constants that we have left. The fact that you'd scoff at it-"

"I didn't scoff at anything!" Freddie knew that he shouldn't have been surprised but he jumped nonetheless, "There is nothing that I appreciate more than Carly!"

Freddie scoffed, "Funny way of showing it." He turned to face her, "Shutting her out, running off without even a note. Letting her worry for an entire day. That is some appreciation you've got goin' on there."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, I don't?" Freddie was beginning to get irritated. "You call Carly your family, your sister, and yet, you act like this! You've got your own stuff going on and I get it but-"

He was cut off by Sam shoving him. "Don't you dare, even begin to fix your mouth to say that I don't care about Carly!"

"Truth hurts, huh?"

With that, Sam had heard enough. With a shriek, she lunged at him and tackled him to the ground. She rolled him over and jabbed her forearm into his face. Freddie rolled her over but Sam quickly countered and rolled back over. She pinned his hands to the ground.

Freddie glared up at her and spoke through clinched teeth, "You think it's just you!? I wake up every day… Every. Damn. Day. Fighting the urge to kill myself! To take a few pills too many, to climb to the top of a building and jump off, to eat the business end of a gun!'

Sam's anger subsided a bit. However, Freddie continued to struggle so she kept him pinned to the ground, "Freddie, what the Hell!? Why would you do something like that!?"

"Because I've got nothing left! You've got your sister out there! Carly still has her grandfather and father! She was all I had! My mom was the only person I had and I failed her! I've got…" Freddie tears began to fall as he stopped his struggle, "I've got nothing left.

Carly arrived at the end of the street just in time to catch Freddie's outburst, "You bastard! You selfish bastard!" Carly came running to her friends, as she heard Sam's retort. "You know that Mel is halfway across the world! You know that Carly's dad is out in the middle of the ocean on some ship! You know that Carly's Granddad can't get around like he used to! How _dare_ you try to act like you're the only one who lost everything!?" Sam's tears began to fall as well, as she released her hold on Freddie. She rolled off of Freddie and sat in the grass. Freddie sat up as well as Carly finally reached the two of them. "You've still got Carly. You still have me. You'll always have us."

"She's right." Carly spoke up, "Sam and I both have other family out there but they can't be there for us, not like you can. You have us, and we have you. All we have is each other." Sam and Freddie rose to their feet as Carly hugged them, "It's not ideal, but it's all we need."

They broke the hug and headed back to their hotel.

Freddie cleared his throat, "Sam?"

"Fredward."

"I'm sorry."

"Save it." Freddie narrowed his eyes until he turned to see a small smile on her face, "I understand, just… just don't do anything crazy when you hit a low point."

Freddie smiled in return, "You got it."

Carly smiled as well.

Finally, the future was starting to look a little less bleak.


	5. History Lesson

History Lesson

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><p>Freddie returned to his hotel room and found a book sitting on his bed. He wondered out loud how the book made its way to his room. He decided that he'd call the front desk. With everything that had happened he decided that he could never be too careful.<p>

"Front desk." Came the voice over the phone.

"Yes, this is Freddie from room 412. Did someone come into my room while I was gone?"

"Yes sir. A gentleman came by about fifteen minutes ago. I didn't know that you had left. When he asked to drop something off I just let him up. I deeply apologize, Mr. Benson."

"It's fine. Just call to make sure I'm up here next time."

"Yea sir, Mr. Benson."

Freddie hung up the phone and went back to sit in his bed and examine the book. It was a brown leather bound book with gold stitching for the title, 'The Wright'. Freddie opened the book and saw the dedication page on it was a single line, 'The passage to the future'. Flipping the page, he saw a note fall out onto the floor. He picked up and it read:

_Mr. Benson, you said that you wouldn't answer until you had answers. This book is the extent of what I can tell you. We are not trying to force your hand in this endeavor. I await your answer upon the completion of your graduation. Until then, we hope that this book can sate your thirst for answers, at least temporarily._

Freddie placed the note down on the bed. It was unsigned but Freddie already had an idea of who would have sent him the note.

Freddie opened the book and began to read. It seemed to be a diary. Freddie had never been one to pry, but this seemed to be the only answers that he would be getting for the time being.

"January 21st, 1630" Freddie read aloud, astonished at the history. "Well let's get into this."

_My father has mandated that I travel with him to the Land of the Franks. I've never accompanied my father on a trip like this one before. He says that it's a trip to advance commerce, but he has brought no wares with him. I've never been one to question the practices of my father. However, lately, his behavior has struck me as quite odd. Even more peculiar, is that there have been a pair of birds following us since we set off some time ago. _

_ For the moment, I am sitting in the inn that we've acquired for the duration of our stay. Very strange land, this Land of Franks. Everyone seems to have a very high opinion of themselves. You'd think they thought that they were God's gift to creation. Ugh, I can't wait to leave this place. I've had a bad feeling for some time, now. I must let him know about this. He's always taught me that my instinct was vastly important. _

_ "Father?" I inquire, "Why are we in this place?"_

_ "I've already told you Federico, I've got business to attend to."_

_ "Yes, about this business," He could charm the chilliest of women in Venecia, but he wasn't going to get me that easily. "You mentioned that we were trading, but we have no wares. I demand to know why you've forced me and my two brothers to accompany you." _

_ "All will be revealed to you in its time, son." He spoke in a serious tone. I decided not to question it. However, his tone quickly brightened, "Besides, there's no need to dwell on such matters. This is a great opportunity to see some new places. Aside from that your friends Marchiello and Antonio are going to be there as well."_

_ I decided to drop the subject. Judging from previous dealings with my father, I knew that it would take more time and effort than I was willing to put forth, to get any additional information from him. _

_ But I will bring this up again. _

_c. January 30__th__, 1630_

_ I've been in this Land of Franks or 'France,' as some have begun to call it, for a week now. As is normally the case, my father disappears for long portions of the night. It is starting to worry my brothers. I decided to follow him one night. He's been teaching me about tracking since I was little. I bet he never thought I'd be using it against him. Ha!_

_ I tell my brothers the same thing that father has told us every night before he disappears "Stay safe, don't open the door."_

_ I silently closed the door behind me. I take a deep breath and try to utilize the observation techniques that my father taught me. I continue to breathe slowly until a blue haze falls over everything. I scan the hallway for… something… I'm not sure what exactly I'm looking for. Anything that will lead me to where he is. I can feel the headache starting to come on. I soon spot a scuff mark on the floor. The trail seems abundantly clear now. I go around the corner and see the trail leading out of the window. I blink and release a sharp breath and the haze fades and the world's original color returns. I go to the window and find myself on a platform of some sort. I believe the inn owners claimed that it would allow an alternative exit in case of emergency. How crafty. Since we're at the top floor I decide to go up to the roof of the building. I smell the air. There's something off about it. The smell is different from the other nights. I contemplate using the technique again, but the very thought of it brings the aches once again._

Freddie's phone rings and he's brought back to the present world. He picks up his phone and sees that it's Carly calling him.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Freddie." Carly greets, "Can you come down here? We have to talk."

"Sure thing, I'll be down in a sec."

Freddie hangs up the phone and slips on his tennis shoes. He sat on the edge of his bed and pondered the short bit that he'd read. The guy in the diary went through the same thing that he had gone through earlier. Was he connected to this ancient mystery person? What was that connection? And what did it all have to do with the mysterious organization? He was told that this would give him some form of answer. However, it seemed that he was left with more questions than answers at the moment. Hopefully, getting to the end of it would enlighten him… but he seriously doubted it. Judging by his limited knowledge of secret organizations, they enjoyed loopholes and stringing along those who are clueless. He surmised that he would get just enough to be intrigued. He would reserve his judgment for when he finished. For right now, he had to see about what his friends wanted.

He cast a glance to his window, certain that he'd seen something. _Must've been a pigeon or something._ He shrugged and grabbed his wallet and key card off of the nightstand and left the room. He was about to head to the elevator when he turned and grabbed the diary off of the bed. Satisfied that he wasn't forgetting anything he headed for the elevator. Out on the window sill, a black owl turned its head and cast its gleaming yellow eyes into Freddie's, now empty, room. With a screech it flew off, in search of a better perch; in search of fresh prey.

Freddie reached the elevator and pressed the down arrow. He had this feeling that he couldn't shake. It was like an itch in the back of his brain. The elevator bell sounded and he stepped into the elevator. When he reached the third floor he realized that he had been rocking on his heels and that his heart rate had accelerated a bit. It wasn't severe enough to cause concern, but enough to where he could be aware of it. He took a few calming breaths as he reached Carly and Sam's room. Feeling his heart beat slowing down, he reflexively reached for the handle and was surprised to find that it was locked. He remembered where he was with a hint of sadness and knocked on the door.

Carly came to the door and noticed Freddie's downcast expression. "What's wrong?"

Freddie just shook his head, "It's nothing," He lied, "I've just had a weird feeling."

"What kind of feeling?" Asked Sam from her bed.

Freddie just shrugged, "I'm not sure, really." He leaned against the wall next to the door. "Kinda like I was being watched, but… I'm on the fourth floor and there isn't a ledge that's big enough for anyone to stand on… it's just weird. Maybe I'm a little jumpy."

Freddie cast a glance towards the window and sighed as the feeling finally left him completely, "So what did you need to talk to me about?"

"Are you serious, dipwad?" Sam replied "What do you think we'd have to talk about."

Rather than admonish her friend, Carly chose to continue, "When we got back we found these books on our beds."

Sam grunted, "Idiot doorman, oughta have him fired."

"We can't have him fired, Sam." Carly commented, more than a little pleased to be slowly falling back into their old selves.

Freddie chose to ignore that they, in fact, could have the doorman fired. He was also relieved to hear Sam's irrational anger and Carly's caring nature begin to surface… even if it is still a bit subdued.

Freddie chose to speak up as he walked away from the window and went back to his spot next to the door, "Yeah I got one too. What did you guys' say?"

Carly answered, "Just that the book would give me answers."

Freddie looked over at Sam as she nodded, "Same."

Freddie sighed and walked over to the window as he felt his unease begin to return. Carly noticed but chose not to say anything. He did say he was feeling jumpy after all. Carly also noted that Sam had moved to the window and sat herself on the edge of the sill and looked out of the window. Carly was startled from her reverie when Freddie spoke again. "Did you guys read it?"

Sam scoffed at the idea. Carly rolled her eyes and answered, "Sam didn't look at hers but I glanced at mine… it's just a diary from… someone. I didn't get far enough to find out who." Carly shrugged, "You?"

"I was reading it when you guys called me," Sam snickered adding an off-hand, 'told ya,' Freddie glared and continued, " Anyway, I didn't get too far, it's just some guy, Federico, detailing his trip to what I think was early France."

Carly hummed to herself in thought, "Freddie, whoever these people are, they know something… they may know everything."

Freddie nodded in thought, "So what do you guys think?"

"I think," both were surprised when Sam spoke up from the window, "that we should go for it."

"Are you sure," Freddie asked, more than a little concerned, "We have no idea what they're into and to make things worse, people we know have died for it."

"But that's just the point Freddie!" Sam exclaimed, "We don't know anything… at all. But they do. And if we join them then maybe we'll know something too. We'll even get to bust some heads along the way."

Freddie nodded and was about to respond when Sam inhaled sharply and looked out of the window. Freddie looked at her as Sam quickly turned her head. "Uhh, guys? There's a really creepy lookin' van out front." Freddie's ears perked up at the mention of a van.

"We should get outta here." Carly said in a panicked voice.

Freddie, acting on instinct, took a deep breath. Upon exhaling, he opened his eyes. The world was awash in the same blue haze. He looked at Carly and Sam as they gathered some things and was astonished to see that they had a blue glow about them. He ran to the window and looked for the van. He didn't have to search for very long before he spotted a van glowing a bright, and evil shade of red. With a sharp exhale he doubled over grabbing his head in pain. Carly and Sam rushed over to him.

"Freddie, oh my God, what happened?" Carly asked, voiced wracked with concern.

"I'll explain later. For right now, we have to get out of here."

"How?" Carly exclaimed, flustered.

"Well taking the front door is certainly out of the question." Sam commented.

"This is not the time for snark, missy." Carly chastised.

"Well if down isn't an option the only way left is up." Freddie said.

Nodding, the two girls grabbed their books and poked their heads outside of the door.

"The stairs are this way." Sam exclaimed.

The followed Sam down the hallway and Carly heard the ding of the elevator. "We have to hurry!"

Just as they reached the door to the stairwell they heard a brusque voice shout, "Hey! Hold it right there!" They burst into the stairwell to see three men coming up the stairs. They bounded up the stairs and finally reached the door to the roof. They exited and closed the door behind them, barring the door with a piece of wood that they found off to the side of the doorway.

They could hear the voices on the other side of the door.

"What are we gonna do?" Carly said, frantically pacing, as the mysterious pursuers began to bang on the door, demanding that they open it.

"Who the Hell are those guys?" Sam said, exasperated. Gesticulating wildly as the pounding on the door became more and more forceful.

"What are we gonna do!?"Carly asked again. Panic evident by her tone of voice.

"Why were they chasing us?" Freddie said, deep in thought. Seemingly, ignoring the pounding on the door.

"Guys! What the fuck are we gonna do?" Carly said having reached the threshold of her sanity.

Freddie sighed, "We should split up."

Carly's eyes widened in shock and Sam's narrowed in anger, "Are you outta your mind Benson!?" Sam strode over to him and punched him in the shoulder. "Our best chance is to stick together!"

Carly nodded emphatically, "She's right. If we separate, they'll only pick us off one by one." The banging on the door became quicker and louder.

"-and if we stay together up here they'll kill us all together." Freddie heard a single voice call for something, but he was unable to tell exactly what it was. "Look, we're runnin' outta time. Sam, there's a fire escape on the side over there. Take Carly and get somewhere safe."

"But how will you find us?" Carly asked, resigned to the situation.

"Don't worry, I'll definitely find you guys." Freddie watched his two friends as Sam and Carly made their way to the fire escape.

Sam helped Carly down and turned back to Freddie.

"You better find your way back, Benson."

He shot her a smirk, hoping to display a great deal more confidence in his abilities than he actually had. He became acutely aware of the beeping on the other side of the door.

"Have I ever let you down before?"

Sam nodded and disappeared to the side of the building. Freddie walked over to the side of the building. He remembered the diary mentioning that the blue vision, as he had decided to refer to it, showed him a way to go. Hoping for the best, and dreading the headache that he knew would follow, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Sure enough he saw a wooden plank and some sort of heavy item awash in a green glow.

He blinked his eyes a few more times and released the vision before it reached a point where the pain would become debilitating. Thinking quickly, he ran to the plank and laid it across the gap between the buildings. He picked up the heavy item which he could now tell was a cinderblock and threw it to the other side hoping that it didn't break. It landed on the other side safely.

Now all there was left to do was to wait.

He heard the beeping getting faster.

He wouldn't have to wait too much longer.

The beeping increased to a point where it sounded like a flat line. With a loud bang the door flew off and five men in what seemed to be tactical gear filed through the, now agape, doorway.

_Alright fellas. Catch me if you can._


End file.
